Apparatus for stacking or destacking containers (17) comprises a stacking or destacking assembly (1), means (21) for positioning a stack of at least one container (23) within said stacking or destacking assembly, the assembly including means (14, 15) for raising the stack (17) such that the base of the lowermost container of the stack (17) is at a height greater than the height of the container, means (13, 14, 15, 19) for locating a container directly below the raised stack, and means (14, 15) for adding said located container to the bottom of the stack or (13) for removing said located container from below said stack.